Coming to the End

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Only two weeks left of school but I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I think my announcement yesterday that I only have one month left here in Alsace quite shocked Laetitia, hitting her (and me) with a realization of how quickly the time has gone.

Last Friday I had my last lesson with the 4eme - I allowed them to bring crisps and sweets to snack on during the lesson but I felt a bit sheepish when the President of the school board walked through the class on his way to the office, wishing us a 'Bon Appetit' - I hope he doesn't think we stuff our faces like that every lesson!

Sometimes when I stop long enough to think about it, it shocks me to think that this life which I've become so accustomed to will soon come to an end and that I'll leave everyone I've got to know, the family, the children, the people at school and church.

But I know too that God's grace is with me and that by His grace, He will give me peace and strength when the time comes to leave - I already sense Him preparing me for the next stage of the journey with Him - I'm excited!

What words can really describe what has been one of the best years of life? What words can describe the amazing transformation God has brought about it in my heart? None. But I'll do my best to find some.

It has been an adeventure, a roller coaster, a life-changing, perspective-shifting experience (from one of what about me to one of what about Him?), a life lesson, an eye-opener (opening my eyes to the reality of God's Kingdom and the transformational power of His Spirit) and the beginning, yes just the beginning of a journey, a journey with the great and almighty God, whom it has become my heart's greatest desire to know more. He has shown me this year what happens when we put our trust in Him, when we surrender what we treasure the most to Him and when we let Him move with freedom and power in our lives. It's true that He leads us into the unknown, into difficulty and to the foot of great mountains but He never leaves us there to do it alone.

I asked God to radicalize me this year, to set me completely on fire for Him and I believe that's exactly what He's begun to do. I've had battles to fight, mountains to climb, hard lessons to learn, divine discipline to be subjected to, sacrifices to make and mistakes to learn from but through it all I can honestly say God has been loving, faithful and patient (I only realized today how much of the latter He must need with me!)

Will I be sad to leave France and my life here? Yes, of course but with the hope and joy of knowing what God has done in my life and what He has yet to do in and through me.

Never would I have thought that I would or could be this on fire for God. When I cam here a year ago, full of fear and doubt, God wasn't someone to be relied upon or trusted and He certainly wasn't a God to give up everything for. 'Give up my ambition to be a journalist?! You must be joking!' was my reply to Jesus' call to pick up my cross and follow Him, giving up everything, even the things I wanted. The reality of that was too hard to live and it's still a reality I'm learning to live today but what I thought I was once too weak to do, God has made me strong enough to do.

I'm reminded of the verses from Ephesians 3:20 "With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we ask or imagine."

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